My favorite Super Bowl ad: Droga5's Matt Ian
Ahead of Super Bowl 51, The Drum has asked some of the industry’s most influential people to reflect on their favorite Super Bowl ad of all time and discuss why it stands out to them.
Credit: Droga5
We’ve also asked them to give their thoughts on whether they think social media has helped or hurt the effectiveness of the coveted Super Bowl spot. Over the past few years, many brands have chosen to leverage the power of social media by teasing or releasing their Super Bowl spots online days before the game in hopes of garnering additional buzz and maximizing reach – but a good number of brands still prefer to take the traditional route of surprising viewers on game day.
Up until the Super Bowl, we’ll be featuring responses from agency founders, creatives and CEOs. Today we feature Matt Ian, executive creative director at Droga5. Below, find out why Apple's iconic 1984 ad is his favorite Super Bowl spot.
What is your favorite Super Bowl ad of all time?
That's a tough question. I love FedEx "Color Bars" for having the balls to go so "small" in "the big game," eTrade's "Monkey" for its subversive absurdity, or even VW's "The Force" for simple storytelling with such cultural resonance. But I'm going to have to go with the most obvious answer: Apple's "1984."
Why did you love it? What made it stand out?
"1984" is exactly how brands should approach the Super Bowl: on their terms. It's the world's biggest stage, and you're paying a buttload of money for a sliver of a moment on that stage. But most brands just freeze up. The agency starts concepting in June and by November, they've worked themselves up into a tizzy about what will "break through." Ultimately, we get a bunch of puppies and babies and celebrities that I can't remember a week after the game is over, let alone a year after. So what most brands end up with is a Super Bowl ad on The Super Bowl's terms.
In your opinion, was it ultimately a success for the brand?
1984 was most certainly a success. I don't think Apple's history would be what it is, had it not been for that spot. How could you tell that story without that chapter?
What do you hope to see from this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads?
I'd rather see a head-scratcher like the Nationwide "Dead Kid" than another chapter in the Budweiser "Puppy" story. (Just put up a fence so he can't get out anymore!) That probably sounds cynical, but I am genuinely hoping to see how brands use the opportunity to take some chances. And when you take chances, you're going to fail from time to time.
Social media has changed the way brands approach their Super Bowl advertising strategies. Do you think social media has helped or hurt the effectiveness of Super Bowl spots?
The ideas themselves are what ultimately help or hurt the effectiveness of Super Bowl advertising. Social media just amplifies what works, or doesn't work.
To read the other interviews in our series, click here.
To find out which brands are advertising in the Super Bowl this year, visit The Drum's dedicated page here.